A vehicle door assembly generally comprises an outer panel, an interior panel to which an interior door grip is attached, a lock mechanism and a window regulator device. The door grip is grasped by an occupant of the vehicle to open the door for egress and to close it during ingress. A release lever may be located proximate the door grip to unlatch the door, though in some vehicles the release lever is located remotely from the grip handle.
Vehicle door grips typically are longitudinally shaped to allow an occupant's hand to easily wrap around the grip when opening and closing the door. The grip is usually attached to the door at opposing ends of the grip in order to provide a sufficiently robust assembly capable of withstanding the forces imposed upon it when the grip (and, consequently, the door) is pushed and pulled by an occupant of the vehicle. Longitudinal grips are often incorporated into an armrest. Other configurations of longitudinal door grips include straps. A significant drawback of longitudinal door grips is that they limit the design of vehicle interiors because sufficient space must be made in the interior door panel to accommodate the relatively large grip and its opposing mounting points. Accordingly, there is a need for a robust door grip that consumes less space on the interior of the door and thus can be more flexibly located on the interior door panel.